College Basketball Betting News and Trends For Thursday, March 15, 2018

Preview: Oklahoma vs. Rhode Island
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

In what may go down as one of the more controversial selections of the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma not only made it but garnered a No. 10 seed and will meet No. 7 Rhode Island on Thursday in the Midwest Region in Pittsburgh. The Sooners went 6-12 down the stretch and were bounced from the Big 12 Tournament in the first round but will still get to face the Rams, who are the Atlantic 10 regular-season champions.

The fact that they play in a major conference that sent seven teams to the tournament and have Freshman of the Year candidate Trae Young certainly helped the Sooners, who were the only team in the field, including First Four teams, to make it with fewer than 19 victories. Young led the nation in scoring (27.4 points per game) and assists (8.8) while grabbing 3.9 rebounds for coach Lon Kruger. The 6-2 guard helped his team to a 12-1 start, including three wins over ranked teams, but things started to go south in mid-January. The Rams, who were unable to capture a second straight Atlantic 10 Tournament title, got a tough draw, including a possible second-round game with No. 2 seed Duke, for a team that won 25 games, including its first 13 in the Atlantic 10.

TV: 12:15 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (18-13): Everyone knows what Young can do, but it's the rest of the team that will decide if the Sooners can advance out of the first round after missing the tournament last season. Junior guard Christian James had been solid with seven straight games in double figures before going scoreless in the Sooner's 71-60 loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament. Freshman forward Brady Manek is the only other player averaging in double figures for Kruger, but has only scored more than nine points once in the past seven games.

ABOUT RHODE ISLAND (25-7): Redshirt senior E.C. Matthews recorded 20 points and eight rebounds, but the Rams lost their second low-scoring game to Davidson in the last two weeks in the Atlantic 10 final. Dan Hurley's team is well-rounded with a top scorer in Jared Terrell, a defensive specialist in Stanford Robinson and a solid point guard and leader in Jeff Dowtin. Andre Berry, Cyril Langevine and Jarvis Garrett also see considerable playing time for the Rams, who are in the tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since going to three straight from 1997-1999.

TIP-INS

1. The Sooners made the Final Four in 2016 and the Sweet 16 in 2015 under Kruger, who has been to the tournament 17 times with five schools.

2. The Rams are 7-9 in the NCAA Tournament, including a win last season over Creighton.

3. The winner plays Duke or No. 15 seed Iona in Saturday's second round.

PREDICTION: Rhode Island 87, Oklahoma 83

Preview: Wright State vs. Tennessee
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Third-seeded Tennessee looks to make a splash in the NCAA Tournament when it faces No. 14 seed Wright State in the first round of the South Regional on Thursday in Dallas, Texas. The Volunteers won over 20 games in the regular season for the first time since 2013-14 before advancing to the SEC Tournament final where they suffered a 77-72 loss to Kentucky on Sunday, and hope to live up to their lofty seed in their first-ever meeting with the Raiders.

"To have the kind of year to put yourself in position to play in the tournament is in itself a great accomplishment," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes told reporters. "I'm really proud of the guys to put us in that position." Wright State won three straight games en route to the Horizon League Tournament title and clinched its first NCAA Tournament berth in 11 years. The Raiders set a school record with 25 wins, but have dropped their last three meetings with SEC opponents by an average margin of 13 points and hope to buck the trend by notching their first NCAA Tournament win in program history. "It will be my job to bring them back down to earth and then get them to really believe it can happen," Wright State coach Scott Nagy told reporters. "I've seen teams at our level do it."

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, truTV

ABOUT WRIGHT STATE (25-9): Grant Benzinger was named the Most Valuable Player of the Horizon League Tournament after averaging 14 points and 9.6 rebounds in victories over Green Bay, Milwaukee and Cleveland State. Benzinger led the way with 19 points, nine rebounds and three steals in the 74-57 win against the Vikings in the championship game while Cole Gentry and Jaylon Hall each added 11 points. Loudon Love was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 14.6 points and 10.3 rebounds, including nine points in the final, to set a freshman record for points in a season previously held by Bill Edwards in 1990.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (25-8): Junior forward Admiral Schofield was named to the All-SEC Tournament team after averaging 17 points and 8.3 rebounds over three games. Schofield scored 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in the loss to Kentucky in the title game to notch his third double-double of the season while Grant Williams, who was named the SEC Player of the Year, added 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jordan Bone tallied 12 points and reigning SEC Co-Sixth Man of the Year Lamonte Turner scored 10, but it wasn't enough as the Volunteers were held to 37.1 percent shooting.

TIP-INS

1. Tennessee has won six of its last seven games.

2. Love has posted 14 double-doubles this season.

3. The winner will play Miami or Loyola-Chicago in the second round Saturday.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 84, Wright State 70
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Preview: UNC Greensboro vs. Gonzaga
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

When fourth-seeded Gonzaga faces No. 13 seed UNC Greensboro on Thursday in the first round of the West Region at Boise, Idaho, the Zags might have flashbacks to their former Cinderella days. Gonzaga, making its 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, enters as confident favorites against upset-minded UNC Greensboro, which is making its first trip to the Big Dance since 2001.

Five players average double figures in scoring for Gonzaga, which claimed its sixth consecutive West Coast Conference Tournament championship with Tuesday’s 74-54 victory over BYU. The Zags fell in last season’s NCAA championship game and figured to take a step back after losing four of their top five scorers, but coach Mark Few reloaded and saw his team reach the 30-win mark for the fourth time in six seasons. The Zags dominated at the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas with three wins by an average of 20.7 points, with sophomore forward Killian Tillie averaging 24.0 points on a remarkable 77.8 percent shooting to win tournament MVP honors. While the Zags are aiming for another deep run, they’ll need to be careful not to overlook UNC Greensboro, which boasts a veteran backcourt and ranks sixth in the nation in scoring defense at 62.4 points per game.

TV: 1:20 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT UNC GREENSBORO (27-7): The Spartans earned an automatic bid after point guard Demetrius Troy and forward Jordy Kuiper scored 13 points apiece in a 62-47 victory over East Tennessee State in the Southern Conference Tournament championship game. The team’s leading scorers, guard Francis Alonso and forward Marvin Smith, were held to a combined 13 points on 3-for-18 shooting in the title game, but the Spartans’ stingy defense proved to be the difference. James Dickey, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, made the all-tournament team and will be a key factor against Gonzaga’s formidable front line.

ABOUT GONZAGA (30-4): The Zags dominated the All-WCC selections as forwards Johnathan Williams and Rui Hachimura were named to the First Team along with guard Josh Perkins, while freshman guard Zach Norvell Jr. was named Newcomer of the Year. Williams, one of two seniors in the starting lineup, led the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game and had 10 points and 13 rebounds to help the Zags pull away from BYU. “That last 20 minutes was scary, and fun to be part of,” Perkins told reporters. “If we keep doing that, the sky is the limit for this group. I’m feeling really confident going into the NCAA Tournament.”

TIP-INS

1. The winner will play No. 5 seed Ohio State or No. 12 South Dakota in Saturday's second round.

2. Gonzaga ranks ninth in the country in scoring at 84.5 points per game and second in scoring margin at plus-17.4 while one of seven teams nationally to shoot better than 50 percent (50.3).

3. UNC Greensboro closed the season by winning 11 of its 12 final games, including six straight.

PREDICTION: Gonzaga 74, UNC Greensboro 61

Preview: Kansas vs. Pennsylvania
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Pennsylvania's reward for winning the Ivy League is a No. 16 seed and a date in the NCAA Tournament with top-seeded Kansas in Wichita, Kan., on Thursday. The Jayhawks earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region by winning their 11th Big 12 tournament, which came a week after they sewed up at least a share of their 14th consecutive Big 12 regular-season crown.

Kansas was throwing up some inconsistent performances before going into the Big 12 championship game and knocking off West Virginia 81-70. "I think it should give us confidence moving forward," Jayhawks coach Bill Self told reporters after the win. "The best thing that can happen for our team right now is to get some rest, but to try to somewhat bottle the energy and how well we played together today." Kansas earned a No. 1 seed for the third straight season and the eighth time in the last 12 NCAA Tournaments while making its 29th consecutive Tournament appearance. The Quakers are not quite as storied a program when it comes to March Madness and are returning for the first time since 2007 after knocking off Harvard 68-65 in the Ivy League title game Sunday.

TV: 1:50 p.m. ET, TBS

ABOUT PENNSYLVANIA (24-8): The Quakers are bidding to become the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament and were surprised to get this far. "Honestly, I didn't even dream about this, I didn't think we could do it," Pennsylvania coach Steve Donahue told reporters after the win in the Ivy League title game. "I drove home last night saying, 'I gotta get that out of my head, I gotta show some confidence. I didn't think it was possible for us to get to the NCAA Tournament until that horn went off. In a building I grew up in, and watching the kids storm the floor for our guys, it's magic." The Quakers have four scorers averaging double figures, led by sophomore guard Ryan Betley (14.4 points).

ABOUT KANSAS (27-7): The Jayhawks are led by Big 12 Player of the Year Devonte' Graham but have five players averaging at least 12 points, and watched sophomore guard Malik Newman step up in the Big 12 tournament while averaging 24 points and winning Most Outstanding Player honors. "He has had a great attitude," Self told reporters of Newman. "He works hard. He's really starting to understand exactly how he needs to play in order for him to have total confidence and freedom, and I think he's buying into that better than he has all year long." Graham handed out 13 assists in the Big 12 title game and is averaging 9.8 over the last five contests.

TIP-INS

1. Kansas C Udoka Azubuike (sprained knee) missed the Big 12 Tournament but is expected back Thursday.

2. Pennsylvania's last NCAA Tournament win came in 1994.

3. The Jayhawks fell in the regional final in each of the last two seasons.

PREDICTION: Kansas 92, Pennsylvania 68

Preview: Iona vs. Duke
Gracenote
Mar 14, 2018

With one of the most talented freshman classes in recent NCAA history, Duke earned a No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils take aim at another deep run through the bracket beginning with Thursday's date with 15th-seeded Iona in Pittsburgh.

This is the 23rd straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament for Duke, which finished second in the ACC during the regular season and then fell to rival North Carolina in the semifinals of the league tournament. Marvin Bagley Jr. (21.1 points, 11.5 rebounds per game) and Wendell Carter Jr. (13.8, 9.3) highlight the Blue Devils' young front line, while Gary Trent Jr. (14.3 points, 85 3-pointers) is their top freshman on the perimeter. Grayson Allen (15.7 points) helped Duke secure a national championship as a freshman and is back for a final go-round in hopes of bookending his career with NCAA Tournament titles. The first team in his path is a Gaels squad that won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as the No. 4 seed in the league tournament.

TV: 2:45 p.m., ET, CBS

ABOUT IONA (20-13): The Gaels average nearly 80 points per game and were led in the MAAC championship game by a pair of transfers, Roland Griffin and Zach Lewis. Griffin, who averages 10.9 points, exploded for 29 in the title game, while Lewis had 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Five Iona players average at least 10 points per game, led by Rickey McGill (13.5), who made only 5-of-22 shots during the league tournament, although he had a career-high 40 points in the regular-season finale.

ABOUT DUKE (26-7): The Blue Devils will continue to feed the 6-11 Bagley, who has three straight double-doubles and is averaging 24.3 points and 15 rebounds over that stretch. Trent led the team with 20 points in the loss to North Carolina, while Carter pitched in 14 points and nine boards in a game where only four players scored for Duke, as Bagley added 19 and Allen 16. First-year point guard Trevon Duval was 0-of-6 from the field versus the Tar Heels and has not scored more than seven points in any of his last six games.

TIP-INS

1. The winner of this game will match up with either No. 7 Rhode Island or No. 10 Oklahoma in the Round of 32.

2. The Blue Devils have won five national championships and have advanced to the Final Four 12 times.

3. Duke ranks eighth nationally in scoring (84.7), and six of their top seven scorers have made at least 19 3-pointers.

PREDICTION: Duke 91, Iona 70
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Preview: Loyola-Chicago vs. Miami
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Miami would love nothing more than to rebound from last year's poor showing at the NCAA Tournament - and has already gone through plenty of big-game moments in preparation - as it faces Loyola-Chicago in the first round of the South Region on Thursday at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The sixth-seeded Hurricanes are also hoping to get a boost with the possible return of Bruce Brown Jr.

The Hurricanes gave fans more than their share of thrills to close out the regular season, winning each of their final four games by a combined eight points - a stretch that included a three-point triumph over North Carolina and a one-point victory over Virginia Tech. But whatever heroics Miami displayed over that stretch ran out when the ACC Tournament got underway as the Hurricanes were trounced 82-65 by the Tar Heels. Miami's quest for a first Final Four appearance begins against the No. 11 Ramblers, who locked up their sixth tournament berth in school history - and first since 1985 - by claiming the Missouri Valley Conference title. The Ramblers won the national title in 1963, but have won only four tournament games since.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, truTV

ABOUT LOYOLA-CHICAGO (28-5): The Ramblers ended their 33-year NCAA Tournament drought by playing some of the most relentless defense in the nation - they allowed the fifth-fewest points in the country (62.2) while limiting opponents to fewer than 10 made free throws per game. And Loyola-Chicago's offense wasn't so bad either as it boasted a 57.8-percent effective shooting rate that ranked in the top 10 nationally. Five players averaged double figures in scoring this season, led by Clayton Custer's 13.4 points as he'll be looking to end a frightful offensive slump that has seen him held to a total of 23 points over his past four games while shooting 4-for-20 from beyond the arc over that stretch.

ABOUT MIAMI (22-9): Brown's return would invigorate the Hurricanes' offense and rebounding as he ranks tied for second on the roster in scoring at 11.4 points while contributing a team-best 7.1 boards. But Miami hasn't had to worry much in his absence, boasting seven players who average between 8.7 and 11.5 points per game, but the Hurricanes will need to be much better from the free-throw line, where they ranked last in the ACC at 66.3 percent this season. Look for the Hurricanes to put plenty of pressure on Loyola-Chicago in the early going as Miami allowed just over 30 first-half points per game this season, ranking inside the top 30 in the country in that category.

TIP-INS

1. Brown leads the team in average playing time at 33.7 minutes.

2. Loyola-Chicago enters the NCAA Tournament on a 10-game winning streak.

3. Custer reached double figures in 14 straight games prior to his four-game scoring funk.

PREDICTION: Miami 75, Loyola-Chicago 71
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Preview: South Dakota State vs. Ohio State
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Ohio State owns the higher seed and the more recognizable name, but South Dakota State has more recent NCAA Tournament experience on its ledger entering their first-round West Regional matchup Thursday. That’s the challenge awaiting the fifth-seeded Buckeyes as they take on the 12th-seeded Jackrabbits in Boise, Idaho.

A No. 12 seed has beaten a No. 5 seed in nine of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments, and 12s have won 11 of the last 24 such first-round matchups overall. The Buckeyes, who earned an at-large bid out of the Big Ten, are making their 28th Big Dance appearance overall but their first since 2015 under former coach Thad Matta. South Dakota State, meanwhile, captured an automatic NCAA bid by winning the Summit League championship and also finished first in the conference with a 13-1 league record during the regular season. It will be the third straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Jackrabbits and fifth in the last seven seasons for the program which moved up to the Division I level in 2005.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (28-6): The Jackrabbits, guided by second-year coach T.J. Otzelberger, won their 11th straight game with a 97-87 victory over South Dakota in the Summit League championship game, and also notched wins over the Big Ten’s Iowa (80-72) and the SEC’s Ole Miss (99-97) during non-conference play. South Dakota State does boast a national-headline name in 6-9 junior forward Mike Daum who paced the Summit League in scoring (23.8 points per game) and rebounding (10.4) while connecting on a team-most 91 pointers on 216 attempts (42.1 percent). Guards David Jenkins Jr. (16.1 points) and Reed Tellinghuisen (12.1) also average double figures for South Dakota State, which ranks sixth nationally with 84.9 points per game and shoots 40.3 percent as a team from 3-point range (12th nationally).

ABOUT OHIO STATE (24-8): The Buckeyes have had a stronger-than-expected season under new coach Chris Holtmann, finishing in a tie for second in the Big Ten at 15-3 before getting upended by Penn State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. That 69-68 loss March 2 in New York was the third defeat in five games for Ohio State, which boasts four double-digit scorers, led by 6-7 junior forward Keita Bates-Diop, the Big Ten’s Player of the Year who averages 19.4 points and 8.8 rebounds. Forward Jae’Sean Tate (12.5 points), guard C.J. Jackson (12.2) and freshman forward Kaleb Wesson (10.8) also average double digits for the Buckeyes, who finished fourth in the conference by averaging 75.8 points per outing.

TIP-INS

1. The Ohio State roster only features seven combined games of NCAA Tournament experience and two combined starts, both by Tate, but Holtmann guided Butler to the Big Dance in each of his three seasons as the Bulldogs’ coach.

2. South Dakota State is 0-4 all-time in NCAA Tournament play after suffering first-round losses to Gonzaga (66-46) and Maryland (79-74) as a 16th and 12th seeds, respectively, the last two seasons.

3. Daum has posted a double-double in five straight games and 12 of his last 13 contests and has averaged 16.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in his previous two NCAA tourney games.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 76, South Dakota State 73
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Preview: North Carolina State vs. Seton Hall
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Ninth-seeded North Carolina State takes on eighth-seeded Seton Hall in the first-round of the Midwest Region from Wichita, Kan., on Thursday. The Wolfpack and Pirates had successful regular seasons but both are coming off early losses in their conference tournaments, with N.C. State losing to Boston College 91-87 in its first ACC tournament game and Seton Hall being upset by Butler 75-74 in its opening match at the Big East Conference tournament.

N.C. State scored 56 second-half points as it erased a 14-point halftime deficit but BC's Jerome Robinson broke a tie with 17 seconds remaining and then forced a turnover on an inbounds play to give the Eagles the upset win. "Every time we made a basket, they would come down and make a basket," N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts told reporters after the game after he watched his team tie the contest five times late in the second half but saw its only lead on the game's opening basket. Seton Hall's loss in the Big East quarterfinal was a heartbreaker as Khadeen Carrington converted a three-point play with 11 seconds to play, giving the Pirates a one-point lead, but Butler's Tyler Wideman scored on a putback with 4 seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs the win. "It's a tough loss," Carrington told reporters after the game. "You never want to lose, but I feel like everyone put it out on the floor, but we knew it was going to be a tough battle when we came in, so it was a tough Big East game."

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, TBS

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (21-11): Senior guard Allerik Freeman, the team's leading scorer at 15.4 points per game, had a team-high 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting -- including 5-of-7 from behind the arc -- against the Eagles while All-ACC third-team center Omer Yurtseven added 20 points and nine rebounds. Markell Johnson, the ACC assists leader with 7.4 per game, had 10 points and six helpers, but also committed a crucial mistake when he asked for a timeout with 7.3 seconds left even though the Wolfpack didn't have any, resulting in a technical foul and two made free throws for BC. "I knew in my head we didn't have any," Johnson told reporters after the loss. "I was so caught up in the game."

ABOUT SETON HALL (21-11): The Pirates are a veteran team that features four senior starters, including Carrington and leading scorer Desi Rodriguez who averages 17.8 points and 4.9 rebounds. And then there's senior center Angel Delgado, the Big East's all-time leader in rebounds and just the second player in history to lead the Big East in rebounding in three different seasons. But don't sleep on sophomore guard Myles Powell who was named the Big East Most Improved Player after averaging 15.4 points per game -- second-most on the team -- and is shot 38.5 percent from behind the 3-point arc this season.

TIP-INS

1. Seton Hall has lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons and hasn't won a tournament game since 2004.

2. The Pirates average 38.2 rebounds per game, third in the Big East.

3. The Wolfpack have allowed opponents to shoot at a generous 46-percent clip this season.

PREDICTION: North Carolina State 82, Seton Hall 80
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Preview: Davidson vs. Kentucky
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Davidson stole an NCAA Tournament bid from a bubble team with a surprising run to the Atlantic 10 tournament title and is looking for its first Tournament win since Stephen Curry led Davidson to the 2008 Elite Eight. Standing in the way is fifth-seeded Kentucky, which rolled to the SEC tournament title and hosts No. 12 seed Davidson in the first round of the South regional in Boise, Idaho, on Thursday.

Davidson picked up its first A-10 tournament title by knocking off top-seeded Rhode Island in the title game and cruises into its 14th NCAA Tournament with wins in four straight, during which it allowed an average of 62 points. Davidson won 11 of its last 13 games to come into March Madness hot and will lean on defense after forcing the Rams into 14 turnovers and 38.5 percent shooting in Sunday's 58-57 triumph. That defense will have its work cut out for it against Kentucky, which is averaging 80.4 points over its last eight games and features four players averaging double figures in scoring. "Every situation and experience is new to them, so you don't really know what they're going to do, and we need as many of these kinds of things as we can going into next weekend," Kentucky coach John Calipari told reporters of his young team. "So proud of them. Really proud of them."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT DAVIDSON (21-11): Davidson will counter Kentucky's young, balanced attack with some experienced scoring in senior forward Peyton Aldridge, who averages over 21 points and was named the co-Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10. Aldridge was held to 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting in Sunday's win over Rhode Island but went over 30 points five times on the season, including a 45-point outburst in a triple-overtime loss at St. Bonaventure on Feb. 27 - the team's lone setback in the last nine contests. Davidson can't match Kentucky's young talent but does have a freshman in guard Kellan Grady averaging over 18 points.

ABOUT KENTUCKY (24-10): Freshman guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 29 points in Sunday's SEC championship game win over Tennessee and is averaging 18.4 points over the last seven games. The Canada native is also emerging as a team leader due to his hard work. "He will miss guys sometimes, but he's gotten so much better," Calipari told reporters of Gilgeous-Alexander. "But it's taken film and practice and talks and one-on-ones. The kid is a great kid in trying to do the right thing. These kids know, if a guy's - it's hard to lead if you're not the hardest guy working it. It's hard to lead if you're not the first one in there. It's hard to lead if you're not a guy that's capable to go on the court and win games. I'm not following you. Who wants to follow you? I mean, you've got to be that guy."

TIP-INS

1. Kentucky fell in the Elite Eight last season and last made the Final Four in 2015, which capped a run of four consecutive Final Fours.

2. Davidson bowed out in the first round in each of its last three NCAA Tournament appearances - 2012, 2013 and 2015.

3. Kentucky beat Davidson 75-55 in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament - the only other time the teams faced off in March.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 75, Davidson 68
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Preview: San Diego State vs. Houston
Gracenote
Mar 12, 2018

Sixth-seeded Houston will have to cool off red-hot San Diego State to win its first NCAA Tournament game in 34 years. The 11th-seeded Aztecs head to Thursday's West Region first-round game in Wichita, Kan., on a nine-game win streak.

San Diego State's streak includes two victories against Mountain West Conference regular-season champ - and NCAA Tournament at-large pick - Nevada and Saturday's 82-75 win against New Mexico in the conference tournament finals. A healthy and full roster has helped the Aztecs - who feature balanced scoring from the starting five and the bench - get hot at the right time. The Cougars are in the Big Dance for the first time since 2010 and haven't won a tournament game since reaching the championship game in 1984. Senior guard Rob Gray leads a high-scoring Houston squad that can also play tough defense, allowing 64.9 points.

TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, TBS

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE (22-10): Senior forward Malik Pope - who missed one game after his name was included in a report for possible impermissible benefits but was later cleared by his school - leads the Aztecs with 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. Freshmen forwards Jalen McDaniels (10.2 points, 7.5 rebounds) and Matt Mitchell (10.7, 4.0) give the Aztecs additional options in the frontcourt, while senior playmaker Trey Kell - who had a career-high 28 points in Saturday's title game - does a little bit of everything with 10.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals. Junior guard Devin Watson (12.3 points, 3.8 assists) is the fifth Wolf Pack starter averaging double digits.

ABOUT HOUSTON (26-7): Gray leads the Cougars with 18.5 points and 4.5 assists, while senior forward Devin Davis adds 10.8 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds. Junior Corey Davis Jr. contributes 13.5 points while shooting 44 percent from the 3-point line and sophomore Armoni Brooks - the American Athletic Conference's Sixth Man of the Year - adds 9.8 points and shoots 42.3 percent beyond the arc. The Cougars can get defensive - holding opponents to 39.6 percent shooting, forcing 13.3 turnovers and control the boards - as shown in Sunday's 56-55 loss to Cincinnati in the AAC championship.

TIP-INS

1. Corey Davis Jr. led the AAC with 3.1 made 3-pointers and the Cougars average 8.6 3s per game. They went 7-of-23 in Sunday's loss to Cincinnati.

2. The Aztecs went to the NCAA Tournament six straight years (2010-2015) - winning at least one game four times - before missing the past two tournaments.

3. Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is one of 14 coaches to take four schools (Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana, Houston) to the NCAA Tournament.

PREDICTION: Houston 70, San Diego State 62
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Preview: Stephen F. Austin vs. Texas Tech
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Texas Tech didn’t win the Big 12 regular-season or tournament title, but it did earn a favorable NCAA Tournament draw. The Red Raiders, third-seeded in the East region, will stay in the Lone Star State to open the Big Dance in Dallas, facing 14th-seeded and in-state foe Stephen F. Austin on Thursday.

Coach Chris Beard’s Red Raiders finished second in the Big 12 behind perennial champion Kansas and beat Texas 73-69 in their Big 12 Tournament opener before falling to third-seeded West Virginia 66-63 in the semifinals. Overall, Texas Tech enters the NCAA Tourney with a 24-9 record – its first 20-win season in 11 years and its most wins since a school-record 30-2 season in 1995-96. It also will be the second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last decade for the Red Raiders and their first since 2016 when coach Tubby Smith’s eighth-seeded squad was upended 71-61 in the first round by ninth-seeded Butler. Stephen F. Austin, located in Nacogdoches, Texas, also has punched its first Big Dance ticket since 2016 and got there by winning the Southland Conference tournament title as a third seed.
TV: 7:27 p.m. ET, truTV

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (28-6): The Lumberjacks enter the NCAA Tournament – their fourth appearance in the last five years – with 10 wins in the their last 11 games, including a 59-55 upset win over top-seeded Southeast Louisiana in the Southland championship game. Forward T.J. Holyfield closed the Southland Tournament with consecutive double-doubles and averages 13.0 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. Guards Shannon Bogues (15.4 points) and Kevon Harris (14.6) also average double figures with the latter shooting a team-best 43.2 percent from 3-point range, which ranked second in the Southland.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (24-9): The Red Raiders started 14-1 and were 22-4 a little more than a month later when they climbed to No. 6 in the national polls – the high-water mark in program history. But guard Keenan Evans, the team’s leading scorer at 17.5 points, suffered a toe injury in a Feb. 17 loss to Baylor and totaled only 12 points in the school’s final four games in February, including a Feb. 26 contest at West Virginia where he sat out entirely, contributing heavily to Texas Tech’s four-game tailspin entering March. Evans has averaged 20.3 points in the Red Raiders’ three games since and is joined by freshmen guards Jarrett Culver (11.7, team-best 4.8 rebounds) and Zhaire Smith (11.2) in double figures on the season.

TIP-INS

1. Texas Tech has won eight of the nine meetings over the last 21 years, but the two teams haven’t met since 2011.

2. The key matchup will be the Lumberjacks’ offense, tied for 35th nationally with 81.1 points per game, against the Red Raiders’ defense, which led the Big 12 and is tied for 17th nationally with 64.7 points allowed per contest.

3. In two of their last three NCAA tourney appearances, the Lumberjacks have notched first-round upsets as a 13th and 12th seed, respectively, beating West Virginia (70-56 in 2016) and VCU (77-75 in 2014).

PREDICTION: Texas Tech 72, Stephen F. Austin 68
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Preview: Alabama vs. Virginia Tech
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

A pair of high-scoring teams will do battle in the NCAA Tournament's East Region first round when No. 8 seed Virginia Tech takes on No. 9 Alabama on Thursday in Pittsburgh. The Hokies average 79.7 points and have five double-figure scorers, while the Crimson Tide averages 72.4 with both teams allowing at least 70 points a contest.

Alabama is powered by one of the top freshmen in the country, guard Collin Sexton, who leads the team in scoring (19 points) and assists (3.5) and is able to take games over, as he did with 21 second-half points in a quarterfinal win over Auburn in the SEC tournament. Coach Avery Johnson will need to get more offense from the rest of the lineup as the Hokies will certainly focus on stopping Sexton and forcing other Alabama players to beat them. Guard Justin Robinson paces the high-powered Hokies attack, averaging 13.8 points and 5.6 assists, both team-highs. Four different players -- Robinson, Justin Bibbs, Ahmed Hill and Nickeil Alexander-Walker -- have hit at least 50 3-pointers this season, which will stretch the Alabama defense.

TV: 9:20 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT ALABAMA (19-15): Crimson Tide coach Avery Johnson is confident he'll have forward Donta Hall available for the NCAA Tournament after Hall suffered a concussion in the team's quarterfinal win over Auburn in the SEC tournament Friday. Hall missed the semifinal loss to Kentucky on Saturday, but Johnson says the 6-10 junior is in concussion protocol and he's optimistic he'll have the team's second-leading scorer (10.9 points per game) and top rebounder (6.8) and shot-blocker (2.1) against the Hokies. Freshman Alex Reese started in Hall's place against Kentucky, finishing with five points and four rebounds in 19 minutes in his first-ever collegiate starting assignment.

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (21-11): Coach Buzz Williams is hoping his team got their postseason stinker out of its system at the ACC tournament, when the Hokies led Notre Dame by 21 with just over 15 minutes to play and lost. Virginia Tech likes to dare teams to beat it from the outside because of the small lineup Williams plays, trying to pack the lane and prevent easy drives to the basket, and the Irish were able to take advantage from the perimeter. Williams will certainly be on the lookout for a hot shooting team, whether it be Alabama or any future opponent, and try to extend the defense more, but the Hokies have at least learned that no lead is safe in a one-and-done situation.

TIP-INS

1. Alabama ranked 13th in the Southeastern Conference this season in free-throw percentage, hitting just 67.2 percent of its attempts.

2. Virginia Tech was one of only three teams in the ACC with a negative rebounding margin, allowing opponents to grab 1.5 more boards per game.

3. The winner of this contest will advance to the second round Saturday to face either No. 1 seed Villanova or the winner of the Long Island-Radford First Four contest.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 80, Alabama 77

Preview: Buffalo vs. Arizona
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

After a controversy-filled few weeks, Arizona has regained its swagger just in time for the NCAA Tournament. The fourth-seeded Wildcats claimed both the Pac-12 regular-season title and the conference tournament championship but will need to be careful not to overlook No. 13 seed Buffalo when the teams meet Thursday in the first round of the South Region in Boise, Idaho.

Buffalo set a school record for wins and owns the No. 6 scoring offense in the nation at 84.8 points per game, but the Bulls face an uphill battle against national player of the year candidate Deandre Ayton, a 7-1 freshman who averaged 32 points and 16 rebounds in back-to-back wins over UCLA and USC in the Pac-12 Tournament. “Deandre, the dominance that he put forth – if there’s another player better, I’d like to meet him,” coach Sean Miller told reporters. “He absolutely was a one-man wrecking crew.” The Wildcats extended their winning streak to five with Saturday's 75-61 victory over USC in Las Vegas, while Buffalo defeated Toledo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament title game in Cleveland. Four different players average double figures in scoring for Arizona, which dropped three straight games in the Bahamas in late November without injured guard Rawle Alkins but had little trouble during Pac-12 play.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT BUFFALO (26-8): Senior guard Wes Clark, a transfer from Missouri, was named Mid-American Conference Tournament MVP after scoring 26 points in the 76-66 win over Toledo. The Bulls’ impressive backcourt includes junior guard CJ Massinburg, who led the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game but was held to four points on 1-of-7 shooting in the championship game against Toledo. Junior forwards Nick Perkins and Jeremy Harris combined for 26 points against the Rockets, but the undersized duo will be tested early and often by Arizona’s imposing frontline.

ABOUT ARIZONA (27-7): In addition to Ayton, the Wildcats' frontcourt includes 7-foot senior Dusan Ristic, who averages 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. Junior guard Allonzo Trier ranks second on the team in scoring at 18.4 points per game and will be looking to get untracked after averaging nine points while shooting 5-of-19 from the field against UCLA and USC in the Pac-12 Tournament. Senior point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright started all 34 games and provides steady leadership for the Wildcats, who averaged 81.1 points per game but struggled defensively at times during the regular season.

TIP-INS

1. The winner advances to face either No. 5 Kentucky or No. 12 Davidson on Saturday.

2. Buffalo is in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years and second under coach Nate Oats.

3. Arizona is 198-25 under Miller when leading at halftime.

PREDICTION: Arizona 84, Buffalo 71

Preview: Montana vs. Michigan
Gracenote
Mar 11, 2018

Third-seeded Michigan looks to continue its winning ways when it faces No. 14 seed Montana in the first round of the West regional on Thursday in Wichita, Kan. The Wolverines have ripped off nine consecutive wins, including four victories in four days in New York City to claim their second Big Ten tournament title in as many years, and hope a 10-day layoff doesn't rob them of their momentum as they strive to advance to the second round of March Madness for the fourth time in their last five appearances.

"We got back to the gym to be competitive and get motivated for a really tough tournament," Michigan forward Moritz Wagner told reporters. "We've been doing a great job and I don't think this team needs a lot of help to be hungry." Michigan is 11-4 in the NCAA Tournament since 2013 and hopes to make another deep run by taming the Grizzlies in the first-ever matchup between the teams. Montana went 16-2 in Big Sky Conference play before winning three straight in the conference tournament, including an 82-65 triumph over Eastern Washington in the final, to punch its Big Dance ticket for the first time since 2013. The Grizzlies have dropped 11 of their last 14 meetings with teams currently in the Big Ten and hope to notch their first win in the tournament since knocking off Nevada 87-79 in 2006.

TV: 9:50 p.m. ET, TBS

ABOUT MONTANA (26-7): Michael Oguine was named the Big Sky tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 21 points and five rebounds in wins against North Dakota, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington. Oguine scored 15 of his team-leading 21 points in the second half while Ahmaad Rorie added 15 points and five assists to help the Grizzlies overcome a 10-point halftime deficit to win the conference tournament title. "We have a senior (Fabijan Krslovic) who has given his all to the program," Rorie told reporters. "We didn't want to play in the NIT as we wanted to get him in the tournament."

ABOUT MICHIGAN (28-7): Wagner was named the MVP of the Big Ten tournament after averaging 15.7 points and 6.5 rebounds over four games at Madison Square Garden. Wagner scored 17 points while Muhammad-Ali-Abdur Rahkman, who was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team, added 15 points and four assists as the Wolverines knocked off Purdue 75-66 in the title game to avenge two regular-season losses to the Boilermakers. Starting forward Isaiah Livers suffered an ankle sprain early in the first half against the Boilermakers, but practiced during the week and is expected to be available Thursday.

TIP-INS

1. Michigan has held seven of its last eight opponents to fewer than 67 points.

2. Montana is 15-0 when scoring 80 or more points this season.

3. The winner will play Houston or San Diego State in the second round Saturday.

PREDICTION: Michigan 79, Montana 65